The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-05-17
A PURITAN SERMON.



courses Preached I'm New England.
The discovery in the Sears Library OF
Q sermon delivered by Robert Cushman
in 1921, at Plymouth, affords the entire
text of the oldest of all the New Eng
land sermons now extant- The Pill
grim Fathers landed in the autumn of
1920. This sermon was preached
sometime in 1921 by Cushman, soon
after his arrival. 1t was in the dark
est time for the struggling colony. and
among the congregation who listened
to the sermon were the men who have
been made famous through their con-
nection with the trying scenes of those
years-Captain Miles Standish, Gov
ernor William Bradford, Governor Ed
ward Winslow, Governor Thomas
Prince, William Brewster, Isaac Aller-
ton, Nathaniel Morton, John Bradford,
John Winslow, Thomas Cushmsn, Con-
slant and Thomas Southworth. The
sermon was very long indeed, and was
intended to instruct the colonists ia
their duties to each ether by enlarging
on "the sin and danger of self-love."
The text was first Corinthians, Z. "a:
"Let no man seek his own, but every
man another's wealth" The first part
of the discourse abounds in abundant
references to the Scriptures and gen.
eral remarks upon the thoughts Of the
text, with numerous proddings at the
fsilings of the men of the times. In
one case, where the writings of Paul
are referred to there is this thrust:
"In both epistles he PauD very often
nippeth them for their pride, self-love.
straightness, consciousness, and
willeth them to examine themselves to
see whether Christ were in them or not,
for many of them seemed, as in this
day, to soar aloft and 60 with full sal!
to Heaven, yet as men that 60 in boats
set their faces in one way when yet
their whole body goeth apace another.
SO there are many who set such face
upon religion and have their mouths
full of great swelling words as if they
would even blow open the doors of
Heaven-despising Undetermined peo-
pie like the Corinthians, they carry af-
fectedly their own glory with them and
seem to stand for the glory of God"
He thinks that "men blow the bel
lows hard when they have an iron Of
their own heating, dig hard when their
own garden is planting, but their hands
wax feeble, hearts grow faint and they
become churlish when the profit goes
wholly to others" In warning his
hearers against pride and conceited-
ness, the preacher illustrated by this
reference to the iniquities of Virgin
ians: at is reported that they are many
men gone to that other plantation in
Virginia which while they lived in
England seemed religious, but have
lost even the sap of grace and edge to
all goodness, and have become mere
workings. Among many causes self
love is not the least"
Coming to the practical application
his teachings, the old preacher speaks
these plain words TO his Pilgrim audi
ence: "It's a matter of commentator
for a man to remove himself from q
thronged place into a wilderness, to
take so long and dangerous a journey
to carry the Gospel and humanity
among british heather, but there may
be many shows and glasses and yet a
pad in the straw; some men came out
of discomfort in regard to their estates
in England, and aim at great matter
here, affecting to be gentlemen, landed
men. hoping for Offices, feshly liberty.
Let the show lie what it will, the sub
stance is naught, and that bird of self
love which was Matched at home, if he
is not looked after, will eat out the life
of grace and goodness, and though
men have escaped the dangers Of the
Sea, and Che cruel mortality that swept
away 90 many of our loving friends,
yet, unless we purge ont this seh-love,
a worse mischief awaits rs. nn-E-..
Near the close of the sermon is this
strong plea for unselfshness: THE land
is untitled, the cities not builded, the
cattle not settled, encompassed with
idle people, the natives can not in Q
'comely manner help themselves, much
less others; friends have died for want
Of lodging and other necessary COM
forts, and others may follow if not
cared for. Is this time for men to
seek themselves."-SsoYspo Coz.
Portland Press.
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